Is something suspect going down on TikTok rn? Some users in the United States seem to think so, given that if they search certain terms – for example the words ‘Trump rigged election’ – in America, the app is presenting them with a ‘no results found’ message. Meanwhile, here in the UK if you search ‘Trump rigged election’ ample posts show up. However… they are only allowed to be shared with one person at a time, whereas other content can easily be shared with multiple users.
A message also appears saying ‘Sharing is limited to one chat at a time, this is to limit the spread of potentially harmful content’.
So, what’s going on here? Is TikTok really suppressing content that could paint the newly inaugurated President in a less than flattering light?
When we asked the TikTok comms team what the deal is, they told Cosmopolitan UK that neither the platform’s policies or algorithms have changed over the last few days. A spokesperson also pointed out that the app’s policies are publicly available for whoever would like to view them, and said that search terms related to ‘rigged election’ claims in America has previously been used to push harmful misinformation, hence why it’s blocked over there.
All of this comes just a few days after TikTok temporarily went ‘dark’ on 19 January 2025, after the US government said the app posed a security risk due to its Chinese ownership. Said concerns and the proposed ban were initially announced in 2020, during Trump’s first presidency.
When the app went dark last weekend, users were shown a message saying ‘A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!’.
Everyone's clicking on...
Less than 24 hours later, TikTok users were presented with an updated message saying ‘Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok’.
Some users have flagged concerns over Trump’s seeming involvement with social media and likened him to an arsonist putting out his own fire in a bid to win favour, despite Joe Biden’s previous Democratic government also investigating TikTok and coming to share in concerns over users’ privacy and data.
Others are way of his newfound friendship with X owner Elon Musk and after Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg was seen front and centre at Trump’s inauguration ceremony, and how all this might impact what is – and isn’t – shown on social media.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
